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About

Hani Kamhawi is a prominent aerospace engineer and researcher whose work sits at the forefront of advanced electric propulsion systems for space exploration. His research has focused primarily on Hall Effect thrusters, solar electric propulsion, and the development of high-power propulsion technologies for NASA missions. Kamhawi has been a central contributor to the development of the groundbreaking 12.5-kW Hall Effect Rocket with Magnetic Shielding (HERMeS), a next-generation thruster designed as the baseline propulsion system for NASA's Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Demonstration Mission and the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission. His highly cited work spans facility effect characterization, near-surface plasma diagnostics, thermal modeling, and hollow cathode assembly development — research that has collectively advanced thruster lifetime, efficiency, and reliability. His contributions extend to the 14-kW Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS), furthering NASA's long-term high-power propulsion roadmap. Earlier in his career, Kamhawi also explored radioisotope electric propulsion as a near-term nuclear propulsion approach. With papers accumulating nearly 200 citations across his most notable works, Kamhawi's research has meaningfully shaped the trajectory of in-space propulsion, helping lay the technical foundation for future deep-space human exploration missions.